TNA Impact Wrestling Review - July 24, 2014

Dixie Carter stands tall to close out the show.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Bobby Roode def. MVP in a Falls Count Anywhere Match

It felt premature to hold such a stipulation match between these two so soon, especially since MVP is still injured, but perhaps that was the point so MVP had an out for losing. The match never really got started, which was strange, but the live crowd was hot for their brawl. The two are capable of having more of a match together, but as stated before, this could simply be the first of many matches between the two.


The Hardys Reunited and Challenged TNA World Tag Team Champions The Wolves

As a massive fan of The Hardys, it was awesome to see them back together in TNA for the first time in three years. I was glad Matt acknowledged his past problems that led to his departure from the company back in 2011 and his honest promo was well-received by the live crowd. Their verbal exchange with The Wolves was nothing particularly memorable since none of these guys are strong mic workers, but the idea of a dream match between them coming true at Destination X was enough to excite those in attendance.

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Bobby Roode goes to work on MVP's injured knee.

Low-Ki def. DJ Z

Did anyone honestly notice that Robbie E was even gone? I'm a fan of the guy's work but I still despise The BroMans with a passion. Their pre-match promo was stupendously stupid and pointless, but the match was pretty fun. It was cool to see Low-Ki back in the TNA fold for the first time in many years, but it's probably only temporary. The match could have easily one on longer, but it was fine while it lasted.


Magnus and Bram def. Mr. Anderson and Gunner

Anderson vs. Sam Shaw got old fairly quickly the first time around, so why that rivalry is being renewed is beyond me. As far as the match goes, it was solid but far too short. Two minutes? Really? It's well-documented that I'm high on the duo of Magnus and Bram and hope they win the tag titles at some point. Apparently their feud with Abyss isn't over yet, so maybe they'll enter title contention down the line.


X-Division Champion Austin Aries Made His Decision

Despite being around for only three years, Option C has seemed to grow repetitive, especially since it has involved Aries each time. However, Aries did a great job of building intrigue going into the decision and making fans think that he'd be holding onto the title after all. He had an enjoyable verbal exchange with Lashley that set up their title match nicely. Aries vs. Lashley should have a great dynamic to it and I personally can't wait for it.


Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell Ended in a No Contest

I didn't want to set my standards too high for this match because I didn't expect it to exceed their prior two encounters from last year, but this was a great match by Knockouts standards. Terrell isn't even the best worker in the division, yet Kim somehow brings the best out of her. They have such good chemistry together that it makes their matches a joy to watch. I was a fan of the finish with The Beautiful People interfering because it was too soon for the rubber match to have a definitive finish. Rematch at Bound for Glory, perhaps?


The Great Muta def. Robbie E

The match (or whatever you want to call it) felt somewhat special since it was billed as a rare wrestling appearance for Muta in the U.S. For as old as he is, he can still surprisingly go in the ring. He isn't capable of any five star classics at this point in his career, but his quick squash with Robbie was exactly what it needed to be. Sanada's heel turn was an interesting turns of events and was something I didn't see coming. Sanada and James Storm make a good pairing because it's different, something TNA should strive to be. We'll see where this goes from here.


Ethan Carter III, Rhyno and Rockstar Spud def. Tommy Dreamer and Team 3D

With two-thirds of the competitors in this match being ECW originals, you had to know the direction this match would take going in. That isn't to say it wasn't entertaining, but it was very ECW-esque. I understand that the ECW originals draw well in the northeast, but TNA should look to establish their own identity during this set of tapings instead of heavily relying on the past. The heels garnered good heat for winning once again and the debuts of Snitsky and Ezekiel Jackson were shocking. They don't add much star power to TNA, but I feel both guys have something to offer and they're perfect for the roles of "heavies" for Dixie Carter.


Overall Show

The show may have been light on in-ring action, but what we got was entertaining and fun while the matches lasted. The debuts of Snitsky and Ezekiel at the end as well as Sanada's heel turn were cool moments and made the episode newsworthy. Personally, I enjoyed this edition of Impact Wrestling all around and found it to be one of the best shows in a long time. There was solid build for next week's Destination X event which has the potential to be absolutely awesome.

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